At this morning’s cabinet meeting, the government approved the construction of two artificial islands off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. The Ministry of National Infrastructures was charged with presenting a detailed plan within three months.
Under the decision, one island will be constructed off the coast at Tel Aviv, and will provide an alternative site for the city’s Sde Dov airport. The second island will be constructed off Bat Yam, and will be for housing.
The decision is based on examinations carried out by Israeli experts, with the assistance of experts from Holland. They found that it was feasible to build islands off the Mediterranean coast.
The experts estimate the cost of constructing one island at $1.5 billion. This does not include the cost of building housing, or of a bridge to the mainland. The authors of the report stress that sand will have to be transferred from one side of the islands to the other, to prevent damage to the country’s coastline.
The report says that the residential island could be constructed from 2005 onwards, while the airport island could be constructed earlier.
Environmental organizations oppose construction of artificial islands, claiming that they will interfere with the movement of sand in the sea, and that moving sand from one side of the islands to the other is an inadequate solution to the problem. They also say that there are insufficient reserves of sand in the Mediterranean to build the islands.
A further objection raised by the environmentalists is that the seascape will be adversely affected, as the islands will stand out sharply. They also say that the airport will mean more noise, turning the seashore into a public nuisance.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on November 10, 2002